Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1887-04-28
BASEBALL.
Lively Times Predicted for the Sea-
son or 1887 ON the Green
Diamond.
Harl Hit ng and Active Base-Running
Among the Products of the New
Rules.
[cu1cAoo connEspoNprNcE.l !


The American Association teams played
the frst han p ouship games OF the base
ball season OF 1887 OH the 18th Of April,
and oa the 28th OF April the first cham
pionship games OF the present season will
take place betweel the teams OF the Ma
tional League. Thus within a few days
both the great baseball organizations or
the coun ~ will have launched upon their
seasons contest for the capture OF their
respective pennants, with every indication
that the games will be attended by even
more remarkable degree of interest than
has marked The progress of the contests
through any seasons past. AS in past years
at The commencement of the season, specu-
latiOn il rife among admirers OF the game
everyW here as to the relative strength, the
probable position of the teams at the end
of the season, and the character OF the fight
they will make, with a strong favoring, of
course, of the team belonging TO the city
from which such admirers may hail.
Tterc is good deal OF speculation
among players, as well as patrons of the
game, regarding the probable effect of the
new rules. As rule the players, particu-
larly piicl ers, Condemn the new pitching
rules. They render the pitchers work
harder, make more work for the fielders,
and prolong the length of the game. Out
siders, however, seem pleased with the new
arrangement. Spectators who pay to wit
ness base- ball games like to see plenty of
action. They like to see plenty OF hard
hitting and lively base-running. From
every indication they are likely to get
surfeit of 10th this season. Heavy batting
and daring base-running will be the feat
ure of the games, and large scores will be
the re, ult The lovers of the game will
seldom see any scores like 2 to i,
or any "Chicagos." The new rules were
made SO that the whole nine might play
ball and not the pitcher. Last season the
felders had very little to do, and seldom
won any applause, which made them feel
that they were no more than automatons.
Now they will have q chance to show how
nimble they are. The games will take
more time TO play than they did under the
old rules, because the pitchers can very
seldom retire the three men in one, two,
three style. The twirlers will have to work
very hard to earn record, as they must
either allow q man to hit the ball or give
him q base, but which will count Just the
same as if man had knocked the cover off
the bail. What most of the players grum-
BILE at is the four strike system, which they
say will help to make poor batters
records as large as those who handle
tuc Dub Luo
of the League say that if man can't hit a
ball in three trials lie ought never step
10 the plate. Three strikes and out is a
regular household word, and it will be a
long time before the people will get ac-
| quainted with four strikes. The patrons Of
| the game will find that thete rules were
adopted to show the energy Of each and
every man on the team, and il they are
| given a fair trial they will suit everybody.
| President Nick Young, Of the National
League, was asked not long ago il he an
ticipated any trouble wi h the new rules,
and he promptly replied: II do not. These
rules were not formulated until they were
thoroughly discussed in all their bearings
| by the managers and the most prom nent
players in tie profession. OF course they
will be experimental TO q certain extent, but
they are in many respects superior TO the
old rules, and will conduce very materially
TO make the contests more exciting and at
tractive. IL, however, after a satisfactory
trial, they should prove failure-which
do not expect-they can be easily changed
by special meeting of the League COM
mittee, which has full power to make what
wer changes may be deemed expedient."
In Spalding's Guide, which has Just
been issued in this city, President
Young is allowed two pages to give his
"Points on Scoring" The points are in
the nature of the advice which the teacher
of kindergarten school usually gives his
pupils, and to infant scorers may prove
| valuable.
| hr - ora